general problems of the 2001 Ford Ranger

When driving out of driveway the spare tire under the car came loose. Upon inspection there is a great deal of rust on the under carriage. The rest of the vehicle is in excellent shape and withoit rust. My frame should not be rusting like this. It is a safety issue, not only in having parts fall off but also the safety of the vehicles structure may be affected.

Traveling east on interstate 10 west of indio, CA when the kumho solis k21 rear passenger tire exploded. Ranger pickup swayed back and forth until the pickup went down a 15' embankment. Rolled at least 3 times with injuries to both passengers. The pickup was a total loss. Tire was purchase 11/22/2010 and was a p225/70r-15.

While driving at 45 mph I slowed to make a right turn and almost went through the intersection into the woods. I thought that the truck might roll. Upon inspection, my left front tire was nearly flat. When I brought the wheel/tire to get it repaired I was told that the wheel had rusted through and the tire was okay. The folks at the wheel & tire place showed me how the wheel was designed to trap water and were very familiar with the problem. I notified Ford, who ignored the design-flaw aspect, and told me I was out of luck since there was no safety recall. I hope that changes.

The consumer stated that the vehicle manufacturer was providing 15 inch spare wheels on vehicles equipped with 16 inch wheels, this may cause the vehicle to be out of balance, the consumer believes this is a safety issue and should be looked intoby the manufacturer.